The technical scope of the present invention is that of containers for large calibre a or ammunition, in particular for field artillery ammunition.
Present-day large calibre field artillery ammunition is classically composed of a projectile and a propellant charge, elements which are independent and are stored separately.
In long-term storage depots, projectiles are generally stored upright in large quantities, on a wooden pallet and are held on by one or several hoops wrapped around both the projectiles and the pallet. The propellant charges are stored in single or double air-tight containers, stacked on a wooden pallet and held in place by one or several hoops. The containers are of the type described, for example, in patents FR2477698 or FR2685469.
During the preparations for a field operation, the projectiles are taken from their depot storage and unfastened (removal of the hoops), and are then manually transferred into a first type of artillery equipment or support truck storage case. The projectile are held in place in these cases by immobilising devices, of the type described in patent FR2753265. As for the charges, they are left inside their containers. The charge containers are manually transferred into a second type of storage case ensuring their immobilisation.
Artillery projectiles incorporate a fuse screwed to the nose. There are different types of fuse (timer, impact, proximity . . . ) according to the type of target.
These are installed onto the projectiles just before the ammunition is loaded into the gun barrel, depending on the type of target to be attacked. The different fuses are stored on the artillery equipment in a third type of case.
Artillery ammunition is generally fired using squibs. These squibs are also stored on the artillery equipment in a fourth type of case.
Preparation occasionally comprise a supplementary intermediary phase consisting in grouping full rounds on a pallet, that is to say the same number of projectile as propellant charges as well as their corresponding fuses and squibs.
Thus, the preparation of a field operation requires substantial handling operations to supply the equipment.
Moreover, operating in the field, the operator picks out the different elements required for firing (projectile, propellant charge, fuse, squib) from four different cases, which are generally not grouped together.
Present-day logistics, therefore, require ammunition storage means for long-term storage depots that are different from the storage and transfer means for artillery equipment during field operations. This requires a lot of handling of the ammunition with the subsequent risks to safety and of supply errors.
Patent EP-61255 describes a large calibre artillery ammunition storage container. This container incorporates two cells intended to each receive a piece of ammunition that, in this case, is a cased ammunition. On its upper face, it incorporates cavities of a matching shape to feet made on its lower face, such as to be able to co-operate with a second container. Several containers can thus be stacked on top of one another. Several rows of stacked containers can be placed on a pallet and held on by two hoops. Each container incorporates two carrying handles. These air-tight containers can be used both for depot storage and for storage and transport on a piece of artillery.
However, although they are able to be stacked on top of one another, there are no joining means provided either between them or between them and the support. It is thus still necessary to have cases to support the containers. Moreover, this container is not suitable for artillery ammunition that is composed of a projectile and propellant charge that are independent of each other with a separate fuse.
Patent DE-4014193 describes a launch container that can contain four missiles and can be stacked with another analogous container. This container has six claws on its upper face that can penetrate into matching housings on a lower face of another container.
It also incorporates four swivelling locking latches at the four corners of its upper face and co-operating with grooves made in a lower face of another container.
Such a container is complicated in design. Additionally, the relative positioning of two containers to be stacked must be relatively accurate so as to permit the hooks to match up with their housings.
Unlocking is, finally, complicated by the number and position of the latches.
The invention relates to a container to carry and store ammunition that overcomes such drawbacks.
Thus, the container according to the invention is of simple design and permits the easy stacking of the containers. It also allows the containers to be easily joined or separated.
The container according to the invention can be used both for long-term storage in a storage depot and as an ammunition case for a piece of artillery.
This container avoids the handling of each constitutive element of a piece of ammunition, the full container alone is moved from the storage depot to the piece of artillery.
The subject of the invention is thus a container for large calibre ammunition, in particular for field artillery ammunition, constituted by a body, incorporating at least one cell opening out at a front face and/or a rear face and receiving one element of an ammunition, said body having two side faces as well as a lower face and an upper face carrying matching shapes forming means to position one container with respect to another container stacked on it, said container also incorporating at least one joining means allowing it to be linked to another container stacked on it, said container characterised in that the matching shapes ensuring the positioning are arranged at each angle of the lower and upper faces of the container.
Advantageously, at least one joining means will be arranged at each of the side faces between the positioning means.
Each joining means can comprise a lug and a hinged hooking lock intended to co-operate with the lug of another container stacked on it so as to join the two containers together.
The hooking lock can incorporate a hinged locking handle comprising a tip intended to engage inside a hooking groove of the lug.
The matching shapes ensuring the positioning will advantageously be planes made on the lower and upper face of the container, planes inclined with respect to the side faces and being oriented perpendicularly to the front and rear faces.
The container can comprise at least two grooves made on the lower face of the container and intended to allow a passage for the fork of a fork-lift truck.
It can also comprise at least two carrying handles integral with the upper face of the container.
The four inclined faces of the upper face of the container can advantageously be arranged level with the carrying handles.
The container can incorporate at least two air-tight cells each able to receive a constitutive element of a piece of artillery ammunition, that is a projectile and/or a propellant charge and/or at least one fuse and/or at least one squib.
The cells can open out both onto a front face and a rear face of the container.
Each cell can be sealed by using at least one plug integral with the body.
Each cell can incorporate a sliding sleeve intended to receive at least one ammunition element and intended to permit it to be removed from the body.
Each sleeve can be constituted by two half-shells surrounding the ammunition element.
Each sleeve can incorporate a handle integral with a half-shell of the sleeve allowing it to slide with respect to the body so as to extract the ammunition element.
A first advantage of the device according to the invention lies in the use of the same container for long-term depot storage and as an ammunition case for a piece of artillery.
Another advantage is the easy quick joining of each container with its neighbouring container located above and of the lower container with the support on which it stands.
Another advantage is the facility with which each container is transported, either manually, by bridge, crane or fork-lift truck.
Another advantage lies in the fact that the container groups together at least one full round composed of a projectile, a propellant charge, a set of differentiated fuses and squibs. It thus allows the logistic operations to be simplified.
Another advantage lies in leaving the ammunition it its long-term storage container, thereby allowing those unused further to a field operation to be returned to the storage depot once again without their having to be repacked.
Another advantage is the facility of storing the ammunition obtained by stacking a great number of containers on top of one another.
Another advantage is the air-tight protection of the different constitutive elements of a piece of ammunition from storage to use.